Last reviewed and fact-checked: September 7, 2026
CFD prop firm · Est. Dec 2023 · MT5 / Match Trader / TradeLocker / cTrader · 3.0/5 Trustpilot
◎ Best for
Traders who want maximum menu choice: seven challenge models, four platforms, accounts to $400K, and full EA and copy-trading permission.
⚠ Avoid if
Reputation matters to you. Trustpilot sits at 3.0/5 with a platform warning for suspected guideline breaches and documented payout disputes.
Aqua Funded is a Dubai-based CFD prop firm launched in December 2023. It offers seven evaluation models ranging from a 1-Step challenge to Instant Funding, with accounts from $2,500 to $400,000 across platforms including MT5, Match Trader, TradeLocker, and cTrader. The firm has processed over $6.1M in verified payouts, but carries a 3.0 out of 5 Trustpilot score with a high volume of payout dispute complaints, making due diligence essential before committing to a larger account.
Rating Breakdown
- Seven challenge models including Instant Funding
- Accounts from $2,500 to $400,000
- Four platforms: MT5, Match Trader, TradeLocker, cTrader
- EAs and trade copiers fully allowed
- Overnight and weekend position holding permitted
- No consistency rule on 3-Step plans
- Low entry fee — 2-Step Pro $5K from $39
- Scaling path up to $4M allocation
- $6.1M in documented payouts across 2,265 transactions
- News trading allowed during evaluation phase
- Trustpilot score of 3.0/5 — well below top-tier firms
- 27% one-star reviews on Trustpilot
- Trustpilot issued warning for suspected guideline breaches
- Documented payout disputes: HFT accusations, NDA demands, max allocation rejections
- News trading restricted on funded accounts (5-min window, FOMC banned)
- Instant Funding Standard profit split starts at just 65%
- cTrader costs an extra $15 on top of challenge fee
- No weekend or after-hours support
- MT5 not available to US residents
Account Plans and Pricing
1-Step Challenge Rules
| Evaluation type | One-step |
| Profit target | 9% (Standard) / 6% (Pro) |
| Time limit | None |
| Min. trading days | Not publicly specified |
| Max drawdown | 6% trailing (from highest balance) |
| Daily loss limit | 3% |
| Consistency rule | 25% on Pro; Standard: None |
| Fee refund | Not publicly confirmed |
2-Step Challenge Rules
| Evaluation type | Two-step (Phase 1 + Phase 2) |
| Phase 1 profit target | 8% (Standard) / 10% (Pro) |
| Phase 2 profit target | 5% (both Standard and Pro) |
| Time limit | None |
| Min. trading days | Not publicly specified |
| Max drawdown | 8% static (Standard) / 10% static (Pro) |
| Daily loss limit | 5% |
| Consistency rule | 25% on Pro; None on Standard |
| Fee refund | Not publicly confirmed |
3-Step Challenge Rules
| Evaluation type | Three-step (Phase 1 + Phase 2 + Phase 3) |
| Profit target per phase | 6% each phase |
| Time limit | None |
| Min. trading days | Not publicly specified |
| Max drawdown | 8% static |
| Daily loss limit | 4% |
| Consistency rule | None |
| Fee refund | Not publicly confirmed |
Payouts
| First payout | After minimum 3 active trading days, no open trades, account above initial balance |
| Default cycle | Bi-weekly (14 days); 7-day add-on available |
| On-demand payouts | Available on Instant Funding accounts |
| Profit split (challenge) | 90% standard; 100% available as upgrade |
| Profit split (Instant Standard) | 65%–80% |
| Profit split (Instant Pro) | 90%–100% |
| Minimum withdrawal | $100 |
| Payment methods | Rise, crypto (USDT, BTC); deposits via Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, crypto |
| KYC required | Yes, before first payout |
| Verified total paid | $6.1M across 2,265 transactions |
Trading Conditions
| Platforms | MT5, Match Trader, TradeLocker, cTrader (cTrader: +$15 fee; MT5 unavailable to US residents) |
| Instruments | Forex (28 pairs), indices (7), commodities (2), crypto (4) |
| Max leverage (evaluation) | 1:100 |
| Max leverage (funded) | 1:50 on forex Pro/Instant; 1:2 on crypto |
| News trading (evaluation) | Allowed without restriction |
| News trading (funded) | Banned within 5 minutes before/after high-impact events; FOMC entirely prohibited |
| Overnight / weekend holding | Allowed |
| Expert Advisors | Allowed |
| Copy trading | Allowed between own accounts |
| Commissions | $5 per lot (forex, metals, commodities); zero on indices and crypto |
| Scaling path | 12% profit in any 3-month period triggers 25% account size increase; maximum $4M allocation |
Our Verdict
The single most important fact about Aqua Funded is its Trustpilot score: 3.0 out of 5 from over 1,400 reviews, with Trustpilot issuing a warning to the firm for suspected guideline breaches. That number is not representative of all traders’ experiences, but it is a signal that demands attention before you deposit anything meaningful. For context, top-tier CFD prop firms in this category typically score 4.2 or higher on Trustpilot.
The payout dispute pattern is the main risk here. Documented cases include payouts being cut in half after HFT accusations with no clear appeal process, a $25,000 payout denied for alleged max allocation violations, and at least one case where the firm reportedly attempted to get a trader to sign an NDA in exchange for a refund. These are not isolated incidents. If you trade aggressively or use automation, the risk of a subjective rule enforcement call is real. The $6.1M in verified payouts shows the firm does pay, but the question is whether your payout will be routine or disputed.
On the rules themselves, Aqua Funded is actually competitive. The 2-Step Pro plan starts from $39 for a $5,000 account, which is among the lowest entry costs in this segment. The 3-Step model has no consistency rule, which is unusual and genuinely useful for traders with variable daily results. The 1-step trailing drawdown is strict at 6%, but that is standard for the format. Check our consistency calculator if you are on a Pro plan with the 25% consistency rule before requesting a payout.
Platform coverage is decent but not exceptional. MT5, Match Trader, and TradeLocker cover most trader needs, and cTrader is available for an extra $15. The instrument count is thin — 28 forex pairs, 7 indices, 2 commodities, and 4 crypto assets. Traders who need a wide instrument universe will find better options elsewhere. The news trading restriction on funded accounts (5-minute window, FOMC fully banned) is stricter than many competitors and has generated complaints from traders who were not aware of the rule during evaluation.
Aqua Funded is best suited to traders who want a low-cost entry point, are comfortable trading MT5 or Match Trader, and understand the funded account news rules before they commit. The 3-Step model is worth a look specifically for traders whose daily PnL varies significantly and who want to avoid consistency rule traps. Anyone planning to trade large accounts, use aggressive automation, or rely on news strategies during funded trading should look at firms with a cleaner payout track record before choosing Aqua Funded.
Several traders on Forex Peace Army, Elite Trader, and Trustpilot report a similar pattern with Aqua Funded payouts: after hitting profit targets, withdrawal requests get flagged for copy trading or IP overlap and reduced or denied. In one Elite Trader post, a trader disputed a $14,000 payout rejection because some of the flagged trades were in opposite directions, and the firm offered a $1,000 partial settlement instead. Other traders describe accounts closed over shared-device or multi-country IP claims, especially when trading from mobile data or while traveling. Not every trader has this experience, and Aqua Funded also gets positive feedback for fast payouts and responsive support, but the denial pattern shows up often enough across separate platforms to be worth flagging.
Overall, Aqua Funded is a functional prop firm with genuinely competitive pricing and a broad range of challenge types, but its payout reliability record drags the overall score down. It is not a scam, but it is also not operating at the standard of the leading firms in the CFD prop firm space. Approach with appropriate position sizing and read the full funded account terms carefully before signing up.
Alternatives to Aqua Funded
Firms in the same category with a comparable score, each offering something Aqua Funded does not.
- InstantFunding.io scores 6.7 and offers a refunded fee on passing and no daily loss limit.
- The Concept Trading scores 6.7 and offers no daily loss limit and a static drawdown.
- TX3 scores 6.7 and offers news trading allowed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aqua Funded a legitimate prop firm?
Aqua Funded is a registered company (AquaFunded FZCO, Dubai, license DSO-FZCO-32537) that has processed over $6.1M in payouts across 2,265 transactions. It is not regulated by a financial authority, which is standard for most prop firms. Its Trustpilot score is 3.0 out of 5 from 1,404 reviews, with a polarized split of roughly 59% five-star and 27% one-star. Trustpilot has issued a warning for potential guideline breaches. The firm is operational and does pay traders, but documented payout disputes exist at a higher rate than top-tier competitors.
What challenge types does Aqua Funded offer?
Aqua Funded offers seven evaluation models: 1-Step Standard (9% target, 6% trailing drawdown), 1-Step Pro (6% target, 6% trailing drawdown), 2-Step Standard (8% + 5%, 8% static drawdown), 2-Step Pro (10% + 5%, 10% static drawdown), 3-Step (6% per phase, 8% static drawdown, no consistency rule), Instant Funding Standard (no target, 3% max drawdown, 65%–80% split), and Instant Funding Pro (no target, 6% max drawdown, 90%–100% split). Account sizes run from $2,500 to $400,000.
What is the drawdown rule on Aqua Funded?
Drawdown rules vary by plan. The 1-Step plans use a 6% trailing drawdown with a 3% daily loss limit — the trailing drawdown moves up as your balance grows. The 2-Step Standard uses an 8% static max drawdown with a 5% daily loss limit. The 2-Step Pro uses a 10% static max drawdown. The 3-Step uses an 8% static max drawdown with a 4% daily limit. Instant Funding Standard has a 3% max drawdown. Always read the specific plan terms before trading.
What platforms does Aqua Funded support?
Aqua Funded supports MT5, Match Trader, TradeLocker, and cTrader. MT5 is not available to US residents. cTrader requires an additional $15 fee on top of the challenge cost. TradeLocker includes a TradingView-style charting interface. All platforms support Expert Advisors and trade copiers between your own accounts.
Is news trading allowed on Aqua Funded?
During the challenge evaluation phase, news trading is allowed without restriction. On funded accounts, trading is banned within 5 minutes before and after high-impact (red folder) news events. FOMC events are entirely prohibited on funded accounts. Profits made in restricted news windows are deducted from your balance, but the account is not automatically closed. This rule catches traders off guard if they did not read the funded account terms carefully before passing the challenge.
Ready to try Aqua Funded?
7 challenge models. Accounts from $2,500. MT5, Match Trader, TradeLocker, cTrader. EAs allowed.
Visit Aqua Funded →⚠ Prop trading risk
Challenge fees are money at risk. Most participants never reach a payout, and funded accounts are usually simulated capital rather than live funds. Rules and pricing can change at any time, so confirm them on the firm’s own site before you pay. Nothing in this review is financial advice.